Icons Workshop Borlean, Vadu Izei, Maramures, Romania

The art of icon painting on glass in Romania is a luminous tradition that bridges folk devotion and sacred aesthetics.

Emerging prominently in the 18th century, especially around the Nicula Monastery, this technique involves painting in reverse on the back of glass panes, layering colors and forms to create radiant depictions of saints, biblical scenes, and protective motifs. In Maramures, this practice took on a deeply local character, blending Byzantine iconographic models with rustic stylization, vivid colors, and symbolic details rooted in village life. These icons were not only devotional objects but also pedagogical tools—windows into the divine for communities with limited access to formal religious education.

In the village of Vadu Izei, nestled in the Iza River Valley of Maramures, the artist Ioan Borlean has become a guardian of this tradition. Known for his mastery of glass icon painting, Borlean continues to work in the ancestral style while infusing his pieces with a refined sense of composition and spiritual depth. His icons often feature the Virgin Mary, Christ Pantocrator, and saints rendered with expressive faces and intricate garments, all framed within floral or geometric borders that echo the region’s textile and woodcarving motifs. Borlean’s work is not merely reproduction—it is a living dialogue with the sacred, shaped by decades of devotion and technical precision.

Borlean’s studio in Vadu Izei is both a workshop and a cultural beacon. Visitors to the village can witness the process firsthand: the careful tracing of outlines, the layering of tempera pigments, and the final sealing of the image behind glass. The studio stands among other artisanal homes, where weavers and basket makers also preserve Maramures’s heritage. In this setting, Borlean’s icons resonate not only as religious artifacts but as embodiments of a communal spirit—where faith, craft, and memory converge. His presence in Vadu Izei ensures that the art of glass icon painting remains vibrant, rooted in place, and open to reverent renewal.

Roadside crucifix
In Orthodox Christianity, roadside crucifixes—often called troite or rastigniri in Romanian—serve as sacred thresholds between the earthly and the divine.

They mark places of passage, danger, or memory, offering spiritual protection and inviting prayer from travelers and villagers alike. These crucifixes are not merely decorative; they are theological statements carved into wood, proclaiming Christ’s victory over death and his presence in the daily rhythms of rural life. Their placement at crossroads, field edges, or village entrances reflects the Orthodox understanding of Christ as the cosmic axis, the one who sanctifies all directions and reconciles heaven and earth.
Spiritually, these crucifixes embody the Orthodox emphasis on kenosis—Christ’s self-emptying love. The suffering figure of Jesus, often stylized and clothed in humble garments, reminds passersby of the redemptive power of humility and sacrifice. In Maramures, where woodcarving is a sacred craft, these crucifixes are richly adorned with floral motifs, stars, and protective symbols, blending folk cosmology with liturgical theology. They are also communal icons, maintained by villagers and often blessed during feast days, reinforcing the bond between the sacred and the social. Their enduring presence in the landscape speaks to a theology of incarnation: God dwells not only in churches but also in the open air, among the people.
In front of Ioan Borlean’s house in Vadu Izei stands a striking roadside crucifix that exemplifies this tradition. It is life-size and carved entirely from wood, with a pitched roof sheltering the figure of Christ. The Christ wears a white cloth skirt, a detail that evokes purity and simplicity, and his stylized form is both expressive and serene. The shrine is adorned with star-like carvings and surrounded by blooming flowers, creating a visual liturgy that merges suffering with beauty. Locals and visitors alike pause before it—not only to admire its craftsmanship, but to enter into a moment of reverence, as if the crucifix itself were a silent guardian of the village’s spiritual heart.

Borlean Traditional House
The Borlean Traditional House in Vadu Izei is a rare sanctuary of Maramures heritage, where artistry, hospitality, and rural life converge.

It is the home and studio of Ioan Borlean, master of glass icon painting, whose works radiate from this space like blessings etched in color and light. The house itself is a restored wooden structure built in the local style, with carved beams, shingled roofs, and a garden that blooms around a life-size roadside crucifix. Inside, Borlean’s studio invites visitors into the sacred rhythm of icon creation—where reverse painting on glass becomes a ritual of devotion, precision, and ancestral memory. His presence infuses the space with quiet reverence, and guests often find themselves drawn into the contemplative beauty of his work.
But the Borlean house is more than an artist’s retreat—it is a living guesthouse where travelers can spend the night and immerse themselves in the rhythms of traditional Maramures life. The rooms are furnished with hand-carved wood, woven textiles, and folk motifs that echo the region’s spiritual and aesthetic sensibilities. Guests share meals prepared with local ingredients, participate in seasonal customs, and may even join Borlean in artistic or cultural activities. Whether sitting by the fireplace or walking through the village, visitors are enveloped in a world where faith, craft, and hospitality are inseparable. The Borlean Traditional House offers not just accommodation, but initiation—into a way of life where every detail is a gesture of reverence.